By 3:30 p.m., there were just 32 T-shirts left, and all 500 signs were gone, their Save SLPC and SLPC = Excellence messages collected to be put on display all over the north country.

It was a very good day, Ms. Barrett said, recalling the stream of visitors buying T-shirts and picking up signs, the latter asking if they could spread the message outside of the psychiatric centers home city.

Is it OK if we take them to Massena? she said. To Gouverneur? Its nice that people are bonding together.

Martha J. Jenner, a 35-year supervising housekeeper at the psychiatric center from Ogdensburg, left City Hall with her arms full of T-shirts and signs.